Short stories from the lands of Twelve Skies
by HamanoAsuka
Summary: A group of short stories based on the MMORPG Twelve Sky. The stories are not related to each other.
1. For honor,for you and for love

Her katana was resting on her brother's shoulder, with the blade against his neck. Her brother was kneeling before her with his hands tied behind his back. She looked around the center square, trying to find someone to save her. To save them. But all she would see was the sad eyes of their friends, the arrogant smiles of the council members and the ever grey surface of Padsong. The snow was falling around them, as always.

Eilise looked into her brothers eyes. Tears were running down her face.

"Do it sis. I always knew it would come to this. I still stand for what I did, and I wouldn't trade a day of my life. But you can't be like me. You can't betray our clan."

Her hands started to shake. Before her stood the brother she had grew up with, and the words he spoke were calm. But it was also her brother asking her to kill him. The brother that had taught her everything about the katana. The brother who had woke her up in time for every class, every event. The brother she loved.

"I… I can't…" she whispered.

"Sis… you have to. Please. I'm dead already."

She pressed her katana harder against his neck and cut his skin. A thin stream of blood ran down his neck. He closed his eyes. A single tear ran down his cheeks.

The wind brushed her face and lifted her hair. She closed her eyes. She felt the snow fall on her face and melt. It mixed up with the tears still falling down her cheeks. In her mind the trial was playing over and over again. Forced to re-watch the memory of her brother being sentenced to death by her hands for all time was a thought that had haunted her sleep last night. Her body felt weak.

* * *

"_For the crimes of loving a woman of another faction and for initiating a relationship with her, Iiwysin is sentenced to death!"_

"_NO! It's not right!"_

_The whole room had faced her. Her lips were shaking as she continued._

"_Love isn't something that should be punished!"_

_The mass started mumbling. One of the council members rose up from his seat._

"_Silence!"_

_The whispering stopped._

"_Love is nothing compared to honor and the faction. Iiwysin has insulted us all with his disgraceful deed of letting a woman of another faction close to him."_

"_Love is everything! It's above all else! Love is…"_

"_Silence!"_

_She was shaking in anger. Honor?! What was honor compared to love?_

"_I guess we should've expected no less from the sister of this traitor. Guards! Bring her to the stand."_

_A guard put his hand on her arm. She brushed it off. With her hand held high, she walk to the stand and stared into the eyes of the elder that had opposed her._

"_For the crime of speaking out of term and with dishonor to us all, you Eilise, will have the honor to take your brother's life."_

_The weight had been put on the word honor, and the council member was smiling as he said it. Eilise's body went cold. Her eyes wandered to meet her brothers. The pain in his eyes tore her heart apart. She started crying._

"_No…no… you can't make me… no!" _

_

* * *

_No matter how much she refused, here she was. Their word was the law. Her hands shook even harder as she raised the katana high. She could feel the smiles of the council burning in her neck. With one deed they had both killed their traitor and disciplined another.

"I'm sorry brother."

He opened his eyes and smiled.

"You are not the one who's in fault here. I love you, dear sister."

She looked at him one last time.

"I'm sorry."

The look on her brothers face as she dragged the katana over her own throat, slit it open and then fell to the ground, would only haunt her a few seconds. With a smile on her face she died in front of him and in front of the council members. _"This is what I think of your honor, honored Council members"_,was the last thing that went through her mind.


	2. For this dance is eternal

It was a dance.

Her stage was Yanggok. Her body, her instrument. It moved as on routine. Her every limb knew its place, its time and its meaning. She swung her arms and with a forceful blow hit the fujins neck. His eyes went blank and he fell to the ground. She closed her eyes. Her body kept moving. It turned, moving gracefully. Her every sense of existence was the embodiment of the grayness of Yanggok. Her heart dulled by the fighting, her soul darkened by death.

It was a dance.

She would turn around to find her new partner in this endless dance. Like a mountain the jinong warrior stood before her. But size did not matter in this dance. With moves trained from her birth, she would trick his eyes. The marbles on her hands made contact with his throat and he fell to his knees. Slowly he suffocated, desperately clawing his nails against his throat. She closed her eyes.

It was a dance.

She had been dancing a long time. The longer she danced, the more she grew into the steps. She existed only in the dance now. Her hands would reach out and touch death. Her eyes would close. The dance would go on. Her feet were weary, her heart cold. She had been dancing forever and forever she would.

It was a dance.

Her new partner swung her katana at her. It grazed her clothing. Her steps would quickly move around her new found partner and with a series of blows force her to the ground, grasping for air. Again her eyes shut.

It was a dance.

Unable to stop, her body kept moving. Somewhere inside her a voice was screaming. But it was her curse. She would dance forever. She would forever turn to meet another partner in this endless dance.

It was a dance.

From the portal of Gemsha desert spawned her new opponent. Her new found partner grazed her marbles. Her marbles grazed his cheek. The blood made a contrast to his pale skin. Again his katana touched her and ripped her clothing. She swung her arms around, hitting nothing but the air around him. He was different from the others, she could feel it. His body had also been trained in this endless dance. He pulled her in and with her back against him, he slit her throat open. Her last feeling was that of his tears in her neck and the sense of relief. She was thankful. She was free. Her eyes closed for the last time.

It was a dance. And it was over.


	3. Rina

He was standing so close to her. Yet it always seemed so far away. She looked into his eyes. Some would say they were silver-gray and cold. To her they had a touch of brown and they were warm. He was standing so close that she could feel his breath on her face. Her eyes wandered to his lips. She wanted to kiss them so bad. But she couldn't.

"Rina…"

His voice was filled with pain. She looked up and he looked away. Her heart felt as it was being torn out. She knew he didn't look away because he hated her or didn't like her. He loved her, just as much as she loved him. But they could never be. She was a master and he wasn't. Their social status was so different. But that wasn't the biggest problem.

She touched his cheek and he closed his eyes. She ran her finger through his silver hair. At far, she had first thought he was old. Then she had learned that the everlasting winter in his homeland had turned it to silver. He had almost died that day. His body had almost frozen and his hair was the reminisce of the event. She liked it. It was different from her own faction members. The only ones with white hair there was the elders.

"Rina…"

The sound of her name on his lips was almost too much to bear. She touched his lips with her fingertips. So close, yet so far away. She put her forehead against his neck and closed her eyes. He sighed. She wanted him to put his arms around her, but she knew he wouldn't.

"I want to kiss you, Iiwysin," she whispered.

"You can't. And you have to step away."

Before she had the chance to step away, he did and turned his face away from her.

"I love you Rina," he whispered. "But if I came to be the reason for your death, I won't be able to live with myself. I don't want you to die, Rina."

Tears were building up in her eyes and she wiped them out. She turned away from him and watched the Nangi's race. The music filled her ears, but his voice still echoed in her mind.

"I don't care," she said. "I have already crossed the line and you know it Iiwysin."

He knew. Just like he always known that there love could only end one way. They both knew that eventually their love would end up here. He glanced at her. He wanted to hold her so much. Wanted to protect her, care for her. Love her. He reached out his hand and touched her hair. It felt like silk, gliding through his fingers. She turned and faced him. The look in her eyes was filled so much love and so much pain, that he could almost hear his heart break. He put his hand on her neck and pulled her close. Before she even had the time to understand what was happening, he pressed his lips against hers. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. It was true, they already crossed that line. So why shouldn't they make the last time something that would be worth dying for.

Rina put her arms around him and in seconds the rest of the world had disappeared. There was no one but them. This was all she had ever wanted and all she never should've gotten. Now there was no turning back. She broke the kiss and leaned against him.

"Why? Why now?"

He stroked her hair and sighed.

"Cause now I will die, knowing the feeling of your lips against mine."

They embraced each other tight and kissed one last time. Then still holding hands they walked into the portal that would lead them to their separate homes. Lead them to their execution.


	4. Untitled

Clash! Ziing! Clash! I can still hear the echoes of that one fight. Clash! Ziing! The blades hitting each other. Clash! Clash! The sight of my opponent. It feels like yesterday.

I was finally experienced enough to be called Master. I had fought many wars. In Amhang, in Samji, Wargo, Paldo and last in Yanggok. I had replaced my katana several times. I had cared for each one, sharpening them before every war. And now I had one that I knew would be with me for some years. It was stronger than the ones I had before.

On this day, I was sharpening it. I was sitting in Padsong, humming a tune, accompanied by my best friend on her lute. The snow was falling that day. But hey. Tell me the day it doesn't fall in Padsong.

"You know Ateal," my friend said. "They spotted another Lord of Azrael in Chonsan yesterday."

"You're afraid, Zhani?" I laughed.

She glared at me and I laughed even harder.

"No, fool. I heard a master of the 24th ranking killed it. But they are appearing ever so close to each other these days. What if we don't have enough people to kill them all?"

"I'm only a master of the 3rd rank so I can't take them Zhani, but one day I will. No need to be afraid."

Her face turned red.

"I AM NOT AFRAID!"

I remember I had laughed. Then, there's a void.

Clash! Clash! Ziing! The sounds echo in my head. Clash! His armor had been so bright. So colorful. His blade sharp. Ziing! Clash!

Later that same day I stepped into Chonsan. What I was doing there, I don't remember. I was looking for something I think. But what I can't remember now. But I remember him.

He had showed up from nowhere. I just barely managed to get my katana up in time to block his attack, but I got thrown several feet away. When I got up, he was there again, swinging his blade at me with such strength I thought my katana was going to break.

I tried to run away, but I couldn't shake him off. I turned around quickly, only to meet another series of forceful blows. In the back of my mind I could hear myself laughing at Zhani's fear of the Lord of Azrael. I wish I could laugh this fear away.

Suddenly the Guanyin backed off a bit. He seemed to be listening to something. I don't know what came over me, but instead of taking this chance to run away, I swung my katana at him. Surprised by this attack he lifted his blade for cover, but he wasn't fast enough and my katana grazed his side. He jumped back further.

Sweat was running down my face, down my neck. I was breathing hard, staring at the Guanyin standing in front of me, a few steps away. He was breathing hard as well, clutching his side with one hand. I knew that wound wouldn't be fatal, if he could get back home and heal his wounds. But it would affect his fighting. Though by the look of his armor he was a Master of the 14th rank. Or higher. I cursed. Why hadn't I noticed that before?

Once again he got a distant look on his face. But this time I could hear it too. It was an awful cry, coming from a distance. The Guanyin warrior said something, but what I still don't know to this day. Then he threw himself at me again and our blades met in a series of rapid clashes. With every strike he screamed and I could feel how his screams strengthened him more and more. I knew I was done for. I had wounded him, but he was too high above me. His chi was larger, mine was almost at its end. I felt how my katana was starting to slip out of my hands. The next moment I always remember as though time stopped. He crouched to avoid my attack and then he swung his feet at mine. I fell hard to the ground and dropped my katana. He placed his foot on my chest and I felt the air leave my lungs. As I was gasping for air he was smiling. He raised his blade and I closed my eyes and waited.

Suddenly there was another one of those horrible cries I heard before. But this time it was much closer. I opened my eyes to see the Guanyin standing with his blade held high, but seemed reluctant to deal the final blow.

"You won! Kill me! Let me die now!" I shouted.

He stared at me, confused. Of course he'd be. He wouldn't understand a word I said. Every second felt like an hour. Why didn't he just kill me?

Then he said something. What I do not know. He listened. The ground started shaking and there was a rumbling rising in volume. He looked up and I saw something in his eyes, that hadn't been there before. Fear. I tried to see what he was so afraid of, but I couldn't turn my head. I wriggled my head as hard as I could, but I could only turn it a bit. What I saw was enough though. From both our sides monsters were flooding the valley.

I felt the pressure on my chest ease. I looked at the Guanyin. He stood beside me and reached out his hand. He spoke again. Somehow I think I understood him. He said we would be stronger together. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up. I picked up my katana and kept my distance. He might have just spared me, but he was still a Guanyin. My first thought was to run away. But looking around, I realized there was nowhere to run.

Once the monsters stormed over us I remember fighting. Even though I thought I had no strength left, I fought. And so did he. I could hear his battle cries behind me. Again my katana was crushing into steel.

Clash! Clash! Steel meets steel. Ziing! The sound is cold. It freezes your heart.

When I was over, I turned around. The Guanyin was standing on his knees. He was coughing up blood, holding his wound. It was bigger now and I knew that he would die. I walked over and place my katana under his chin. He looked up at me and smiled. Then he nodded and closed his eyes. I ran my katana over his throat. He was dead.

I carried his body to the Guanyin camp in Chonsan. As soon as I saw the guards come running at me, I put down his body. I unsheathed my katana and placed it on top of his body. A trophy. I bowed and left him.

Clash! Clash! Ziing! Clash! The sounds still echo. I hear them every day, when I sharpen my katana. I got myself a new one. One worthy of a master of the 5th rank. Sometimes I think I can see his face in the reflection of the cold steel. And today was no different. Then snow was falling as always. Zhani was tuning her new lute.

"Master of the 5th rank, Ateal. Your advancing, bro."

She laughed and started playing a tune on her lute. As always it seems to erase all my uneasiness. When she started singing I sighed and closed my eyes. Her voice carried over the lute notes and into my heart. Replacing the sounds from that day.


End file.
